The draft legislation is planned for next Monday and “would broaden the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, providing another trigger point for the Commonwealth to have a say on the states’ approval process", he said.

The crossbench MP said he had discussed the plan with Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
and Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott
in negotiations to form government after last year’s election.

Mr Abbott told Sydney radio host Alan Jones last week that farmers should be able to say no to coal seam gas drilling on their land, but he said later it was a matter for the states.

The opposition’s energy and resources spokesman,
Ian Macfarlane
, said yesterday it was a state matter. But he urged states to “get the cowboy explorers out of urban areas and prime agricultural land".

Resources Minister
Martin Ferguson
said that 90 per cent of the gas used in Brisbane came from coal seam gas.